Not Again | [C-Plot]
Posted on Mon Oct 2nd, 2023 @ 1:32pm by Rear Admiral Yoshi Minawara
Mission:
Shakedown Shake-Up
Location: Deep Space 3 | Esquimalt Station
1560 words - 3.1 OF Standard Post Measure
Lieutenant Commander T'Sara stood at the heart of the bustling laboratory on Deep Space 3, her eyes focused on the intricate array of consoles and equipment surrounding her. The room buzzed with anticipation as her team of dedicated scientists prepared to initiate the Long Range Quantum Entangled Transport system for its maiden test run. She had spent the entire night prior, fueled by her unrelenting excitement and dedication to the project, going over every little detail she could. Her blue Betazoid eyes bore slight traces of fatigue, but her spirit remained undaunted.
"Team, we're about to make history," T'Sara declared, her voice filled with a mix of exhaustion and enthusiasm. "This technology has the potential to revolutionize the way we transport goods and supplies across the galaxy. The key to unlocking this potential lies in our hands." Her team, a diverse group of experts in quantum fields and subspace, nodded in agreement. Among them was Lieutenant M'Rok, an Andorian engineer with a knack for warp field theory, and Ensign Ramirez, a young human physicist who had shown remarkable promise in the field of subspace dynamics. With a series of precise commands, T'Sara and her team initiated the system. The room hummed with energy as the Long Range Quantum Entangled Transport came to life, connecting Deep Space 3 to Esquimalt Station, a remote Federation outpost on the fringes of explored space.
"Steady as she goes," T'Sara urged, monitoring the console readings as the connection was established. The anticipation in the room was palpable as they watched the progress indicators align. However, just as they neared the point of successful connection, the room suddenly shuddered. Alarms blared, and the team exchanged worried glances.
"Subspace interference detected," reported Ensign Ramirez, frantically working her console to pinpoint the source. T'Sara's heart raced as she tried to stabilize the microsingularity at the heart of the system. The delicate balance of quantum energies was teetering on the edge of instability, and she knew that any misstep could have catastrophic consequences.
"Maintain containment protocols," she ordered, her voice unwavering despite the tension in the room. "We can't afford to lose control of the singularity now."
As the team scrambled to regain control, the microsingularity's ominous fluctuations grew more pronounced, casting an eerie glow across the laboratory. T'Sara's mind raced with possible solutions, but she knew that the fate of the experiment hung in the balance. The Long Range Quantum Entangled Transport system, her life's work, was on the brink of either realizing its potential or descending into chaos.
Esquimalt Station
It hadn't really been hard to choose how to test this system, as far as the Federation had been concerned. There was a strong desire to keep the tests off of planets, lest something go horribly awry. And as Esquimalt had been under construction during this time, it was easy for the team to make the space in the science labs. The room was a mirror of the one that had been constructed as a module to Deep Space 3. A large domed area had been built, surrounded by four industrial transporter pads. The control room was located a level above the room itself. A pile of engineers stood by as the hail came in from DS3 - they were ready to fire up the system. A series of final checks were performed, with Lieutenant Thalas sh'Zarath studying the power control system for one final assurance that everything was fine. He looked up, nodding to Lieutenant Commander Jacobs, who himself nodded back.
"Jacobs to Opts, Deep Space 3 just gave us the green light on their end. We are going to power up the system, tell engineering to expect the power spike." There was going to be a moment when the microsingularity, in its unstable state, consumed a short burst of power, but then radiated our the same as a M/AM reactor for its short lifespan. Luckily, a few Romulan defectors had taught Starfleet how to handle it, and with practiced ease took care of the excess.
"Captain says you're good Jacobs, go for it." The comm went dead, and he nodded. There was the initial hum, not unlike a warp core coming online. The system sped up, and there was a near electric energy in the space - from the team and the rapidly forming quantum singularity. The forcefield briefly buzzed, capturing the moment of energy and then stabilizing.
"Injecting quantum state mapping," Lieutenant Hykawy called out, nodding along with the changes from the system. The computer began serializing the various components, and on the screen the two stations appeared, injecting the same piece of observed and mapped quantum code into the system. Both singularities in that moment pulsed, filling the room with a blur of energy, which quickly faded. "We have a stable connection, both singularities are linked."
"Then it's all up to DS3," Jacobs said, getting ready to congratulate people, when things seemed to hiccup.
Before he had a chance to ask, calls started coming out. "We are getting some kind of subspace interference, there is an energy build up in the entaglement field!" Jacobs cursed, hard and loud. If this carried on the singularity was going to tear itself - and the station apart.
Deep Space 3
Deep Space 3's scientific laboratory hummed with activity as Lieutenant Commander T'Sara focused her attention on regulating the subspace eddies generated by the Long Range Quantum Entangled Transport system. The recent subspace interference had thrown the station into chaos, and T'Sara was determined to find a solution. In the midst of her calculations, her console's communication panel blinked to life, displaying the stern visage of Captain Sarah Reynolds, the commanding officer of the USS Jakarta.
"Commander T'Sara," Captain Reynolds began, her voice filled with urgency, "we have a plan to stabilize the subspace interference affecting Deep Space 3. We can use our warp core and nacelles, along with our shuttles, and can create a protective bubble around the station. It's a risky maneuver, but it might be our best chance to prevent further damage."
T'Sara exchanged a quick, telepathic glance with Captain Ramiro Ortiz, the commanding officer of Deep Space 3, who had joined her in the lab. After a moment of silent deliberation, they nodded in unison. "Captain Reynolds, we approve your plan," T'Sara replied, her thoughts focused. "Proceed as quickly as possible. Lives are at stake here."
Back on the USS Jakarta, Captain Reynolds relayed the order to her crew. The Jakarta's skilled team of engineers and shuttle pilots immediately sprang into action. Shuttlebay doors opened, and a squadron of shuttles emerged, remotely piloted from the ship's bridge. The shuttles formed a protective formation around Deep Space 3. As their nacelles began to glow, the effect of the bubble was almost immediate, energy seems to hum across their ships simultaneously, stressing their systems.
T'Sara monitored the subspace eddies' behavior, working in tandem with the Jakarta crew, fine-tuning the bubble's parameters and striving for perfection.
As the subspace bubble expanded, the violent tremors and fluctuations that had gripped Deep Space 3 gradually subsided. The once-frantic inhabitants looked on in awe and relief as stability returned. However, just as the situation appeared to be stabilizing, an unexpected phenomenon occurred. The stars outside the station's windows seemed to warp and shift. The communication with the Jakarta crackled, and Captain Reynolds' voice echoed with alarm.
"Something's happening," she exclaimed. "The station... it's moving!"
T'Sara exchanged a worried glance with Captain Ortiz, her thoughts racing. In the laboratory, consoles flickered with unusual readings, and the subspace eddies they had worked so hard to regulate began to behave erratically. As the minutes passed, it became increasingly clear that something extraordinary was taking place. The trembling ceased, but the starscape outside continued to twist and distort. Deep Space 3 and Esquimalt had swapped places.
Esquimalt Station
The chaos of the shudders had drawn Yoshi to Ops, who was met there by Captain Penner and Lieutenant Commander Jacobs. "Report," he asked tenuously, stepping onto the main control space.
"We are just getting telemetry back now," a voice called from the balcony above. "Star maps and comms buoys are reporting in and - fuck." This caused Yoshi to exchange a look with Captain Penner, both of which moved to look up towards the Operations Officer and their choice of words. When the young Bajoran woman Lieutenant looked down, she cleared her throat and pushed forward. "Apologies, we have the data, and according to this, we have swapped locations with Deep Space 3." A long, low sigh escaped Yoshi's lips, which was masked by Captain Penner mirroring the Bajoran woman's commentary.
"Our repair facilities?" they asked.
"Appear to have come along with us Captain. In fact it appears as all our local space traffic, the USS Jakarta aside, is exactly where we left it. Deep Space 3 is reporting much the same." Kai looked towards Yoshi with a look that could be summed up easily as What now?
"I'll handle Starfleet, you get in touch with Caelian and the rest of that party," Yoshi said, already leaving from the room with a wave of his hand.
Captain Penner looked down at the holotable, and offered a heavy sigh. "Well get me reports, and let's see about reestablishing our connections and supply lines, and someone get me our search party..."
